§ MR. SEYMOUR FITZGERALDI gave notice to the noble Lord at the head of the Government that on the Report of Supply, or on going into Committee of Ways and Means, I should ask a Question with reference to the proceedings of the Federal authorities at the port of New York; but as I shall not have that opportunity, I beg to put the Question now. The Federal Government have required British subjects exporting goods from New York to enter into a bond that no portion of those goods should afterwards fall into the hands of any person connected with the Confederate States. The noble Lord at the end of last Session spoke of this as a breach of the Treaty between this country and the United States, and some Cor- 1164 respondence ensued with reference to it which has never been laid on the table of the House. But the course complained of by the noble Lord is still persisted in by the Federal authorities at New York; and not only that, but the Federal Consuls at various ports refuse clearances to British vessels unless bonds of that nature are entered into by the captains. I therefore wish to ask whether the noble Lord's attention has been called to the continuance of this practice, and whether any further Correspondence has taken place upon the subject between this Government and the Government of the United States.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONreplied, that, in the opinion of Her Majesty's Government, the practice alluded to by the hon. Gentleman was not consistent with the international rights of this country, and was a breach of our Treaties with the United States. In answer to a remonstrance addressed to them to that effect, the Federal Government promised to give such orders as would put an end to the thing complained of; but he was afraid that those orders had not been quite effectual, because representations had recently been made to Her Majesty's Government of an instance in which the practice of requiring bonds had been repeated. Thereupon a further communication had been addressed to the Federal Government, and he could not but hope, that when the matter was brought again under their consideration, they would take effectual steps to prevent the recurrence of the practice.
§ MR. SEYMOUR FITZGERALDsaid, the Correspondence had been laid before Congress, but in an incomplete form; and be wanted to know whether there would be any objection to lay the Correspondence that had already taken place, and any further Correspondence on the subject, on the table of the House?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONreplied, that there would be no objection.